Indie Manga publishers GEN Manga have sent us details of their newest releases. Plus an all new season of their manga collection has just launched. All their titles are available to download from their website and are DRM free.

The film has yet to get any English speaking territory home video release, only being shown occasionally at anime film festivals. We first discovered the film at a Barbican Screening in 2009 and were immediately fans. It's made by Mad House, the studio well know for hight quality releases. The film itself has that nostalgic Ghibli like feel to it, with it's own touch of whimsy. We've been wondering why it hasn't had an English language blu-ray or DVD release yet, and we always recommend people see it if they can. It's one of those rare must see family movies.

Anime Limited are aiming to bring it on blu-ray to both the UK and US! For us this is a no brainer. This is a case of shut up and take my money.

London Anime and Manga Shopping Guide Updated

From the feedback we've been getting a fair few of our readers are planning on heading into London over Christmas. With this in mind we've just updated the London Anime and Manga Shopping Guide with details of updated shops. We hope this will you help you get a bit of real world otaku retail therapy!

Regardless of where you do go shopping, we always suggest some caution. There are some retailers around that are less than honest and will sell pirate goods. To help you avoid getting ripped off we suggest you read the Pirate Anime FAQ.

Source: Otaku News

Japanese Gallery Cel Sale in London

The good folks at the Japanese Gallery in London have sent us details of the cel sale, or as they call it cel sell! The event runs from Friday 6th to Sunday 8th December 2013. They'll be offering people who visit the gallery 20% off all anime products as long as you bring this voucher along. You may have seen the Japanese Gallery's anime cels being sold at events like Hyper Japan and the MCM London Comic Con. They actively welcome and encourage cosplayers at this sale.

Christmas as come early for many Ghibli Fans in the UK. Porco Rosso has just got a Blu-ray release in the UK. The adventures of the Crimson Pig over the Adriatic Sea is a classic Miyazaki movie. it's got all the hallmarks you'd expect, aviation, air fights, sea plane pirates and a touch of magic. It's a must see movie.

Keen readers of the Otaku Calendar will already know that Monday 25th November marks the release date of 4 Ghibli Steel Book Sets in the UK. Each set contains the movie on DVD and Blu-ray and comes in a shiny steel case featuring artwork from each film. They'll be releasing My Neighbour Totoro, Howl's Moving Castle, Ponyo and Nausicaa.

We're already drooling over these sets and different members of the Otaku News crew have expressed interested in different copies of these steel books. I'm dropping subtle hints to santa that I would like a copy of *cough* Totoro *cough* on Steel book, even though I've got the original Japanese DVD and UK Blu-ray releases. Yes! I am that much of a Ghibli fan. ^_^;;

It's that time of year again the MCM London Comic Con returns to the Excel Centre from Friday 25th to Sunday 27th October 2013. As is tradition, t-shirt brand Genki Gear have an official and exclusive design for the event.

London's Japan Centre to close it's doors this September

London's well known Japanese shop Japan Centre has just announced that they'll be closing their doors on Sunday 22nd September 2013. Currently their store is just around the corner from Piccadilly Circus. The new location and opening details will be announced soon.

The shop has been popular with fans of everything Japanese for years, as it stocks Japanese food, books and current magazines. In the meantime they'll still sell everything via their website until the new location is revealed.

Update: The Japan Centre will reopen at 19 Shaftesbury Avenue in October 2013.

London Shopping Guide Updated

We've just updated our London Anime and Manga Shopping Guide. Japanese department store Mitsukoshi has now closed, so it's been removed from our listing. We've heard rumours that they might open elsewhere in one form or another. All is not lost though as the bookshop in Mitsukoshi's basement JP Books now has it's own dedicated shop on Denman Street, just North of Piccadilly Circus.

We've also had to remove the much loved retro gaming shop Gaming Focus, along with the Muji on Oxford Street. There are still other Muji shops around London.

Also, we like to remind people when shopping for anime goods anywhere to watch out for pirate goods. We suggest you stay informed and read The Pirate Anime FAQ. There are still plenty of places out there that do stock pirate goods.

Cosplayers Unite - A Kickstarter Project

Cosplay photography circle SCG have launched a gutsy project Cosplayers Unite on crowd funding web platform Kickstarter. The project seeks to immortalise some of the world’s finest female cosplayers in a series of portraits to provide a unique "multi-media cosplay experience" for backers.

Sword Art Online UK DVD and Blu-ray Release Details

Over the weekend of AyaCon on Sunday 18th August 2013 Manga Entertainment UK announced the release details of the of the highly anticipated Sword Art Online. Like the US release the UK edition will be released over 4 parts.

Release details are still to be confirmed, but they're aiming to release the first volume in December 2013 and the last volume by March 2014.

Genki Gear Summer Sale - August 2013

The good folks from Genki Gear have got in touch with us to tell everyone about their summer sale. Otaku News readers can use the discount code SUMMERSALE (all one word), to get an extra 10% off the sale price of anything in our summer sale sections. This offer end 31st August 2013.

An interview With Anime Director Shinichiro Watanabe

It's not every day you meet an anime director, yet alone one from one of the most highly regarded anime series of all time. Thanks to good folks at Anime Limited we were able to catch up with Shinichiro Watanabe, who is best known as the director of Cowboy Bebop. He has also directed the hip-hop samurai mash-up Samurai Champloo and more recently the jazz anime Kids on the Slope.

Hyper Japan 2013 is in full swing

The good folks from Hyper Japan have sent us details from the first day of their event. The 3 day event's third and final day is Sunday 28th July 2013. There's still lots of fun to be had! Including cosplay, culture and plenty of food.

UK Anime Fans get to Pick Steins;Gate Part 2 Cover Artwork

The good folks from Manga Entertainment UK have got in touch with us about a unique opportunity in relation to Steins;Gate Part 2. They are giving people the chance to vote on what cover design they would like to see used on their DVD and Blu-ray release.

With Steins;Gate Part 1 out now on DVD and Blu-ray Manga Entertainment have used unique artwork. This is actually the original Japanese design that the licensor has given special permission to use, making this artwork a UK exclusive in English speaking territories.

For Steins;Gate Part 2, Manga Entertainment have been given that same chance, but they would like the Manga UK community to vote for which design they want on their shelf.

There are 3 designs to choose from and the cover that receives the most votes will be the one submitted for approval. The closing date to vote by is 11:59pm on Thursday 25th July. Only one vote per person.

Evangelion Store Tokyo 01 - Harajuku

In the April of 2013, I made my first visit to Japan. On my many travels, the second excursion to Harajuku was not for the stores featuring Japan's most iconic and eccentric fashion trends. It was not even to torture myself with the price tags in Lolita fashion wonderland. I passed the stores and sparklingly sweet crepe stands by. I was on a reconnaissance mission to visit The Evangelion Store - Tokyo One.

Produced directly in conjunction with Ishimori Production Inc. in Japan, this is version has clearly been produced with a more US Comic book feel that the original. The art has clearly been influenced by anime and manga, but it has a very western feel still.

Advance copies will debut at San Diego Comic-Con on July 19th, also known in Japan as Cyborg 009 Day, commemorating the date Ishinomori's original manga was published in Japan in 1964. For those not able to be at Comic-Con, the book goes on sale Sept. 11 2013.

Anime streaming site Daisuki.net to simulcast Monogatari Series Second Season

The good folks from new anime streaming site Daisuki.net have sent us details about their latest upcoming streams. They'll be simulcasting Monogatari Series Second Season and offering streams of the previous series - Bakemonogatari, Nisemonogatari and Nekomonogatari (Black).

Monogatari Series Second Season and Nekomonogatari (Black) will be avaiable for simulcast in the US, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. While Bakemonogatari and Nisemonogatari will be available in the US, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland and South Africa.

They've also got 1,000 prizes to give away to anyone who registers on the site and applies for their give away.

Anime Cels for sale and free Otaku News Postcards at the MCM London Comic Con May 2013

The good folks at the Japanese Gallery have sent us news that they'll be at the MCM London Comic Con from Friday 24th to Sunday 26th May 2013. They'll be there with cels from anime for sale. They've got cels from Hunter x Hunter, Dragon Ball Z, Transformers, Pokemon, and 2 from Studio Ghibli films!

They've also got some free Otaku News Postcards to give away at their stall. We normally only give these out at anime conventions so they're rare and hard to get. Just head over to their stall and ask for one! If you can't get to the comic con, you can always download our wallpaper which features designs from our postcards.

Update: The details in the Comic Con book aren't exactly clear. The Japanese Gallery can be found at booth 302.

Osamu Tezuka's The Crater goes live on Kickstarter

The good folks from the Kansai Club have sent us details of their Kickstarter to get Osamu Tezuka's The Crater published in English. They intend to publish it as a limited edition run of 2,000 high quality copies.

Manga Entertainment UK at the MCM London Comic Con May 2013

It's almost that time again! The MCM London Comic Con weekend is set to run from Friday 24th to Sunday 26th May 2013. As you'd expect the great folks from Manga Entertainment UK will be there and they'll have lots of lovely things at their booth (number 510).

Cosplayers can have their photo taken for free, plus the best cosplayers can win hundreds of pounds worth of goodies! They'll also have exclusive prizes and offers. They've got DVDs starting at £2 and blu-rays starting at £5. So when you get to the Expo, head over to booth 510.

They've got a ton of prizes to give away too, including a hamper full of anime collectibles worth over £1,000.

A Quick Reminder About Pirate Goods

With convention season kicking off it's time to remind everyone to keep an eye out for pirate goods. Do you know if the event you are going to has a pirate goods policy? Do you know how to spot and avoid pirate goods? We find that pirate goods are still present at some events. If you haven't already, please read the Pirate Anime FAQ and learn how to avoid dodgy merchandise.

Strike Suit Infinity Competition

We love giant robots. What could be better than flying around in space and blowing stuff up in a giant robot? We love them so much that we've teamed up with the good people at Born Ready Games to run a competition. You can win a copy of Strike Suit Infinity (to download via Steam).

GEN Manga Announces the Release of Alive Collection 1

The good folks from GEN Manga have sent us details of their latest publication. They've just released their seinen title Alive into a single Tankobon - Alive - The Complete Series. Priced at $2.99 (USD) for a DRM free PDF download.

Genki Gear Reveals Exclusive London Comic Con T-Shirt for May 2013

As May gets closer, so does the build up for the MCM London Comic Con, which is set to run from Friday 24th to Sunday 26th May 2013. As is tradition for the event the good folks at Genki Gear have prepared an exclusive T-shirt for the event. The theme this time around is the true meaning of emoticons!

Shinichiro Watanabe at MCM London Comic Con May 2013

Anime fans who can get to the MCM London Comic Con on Friday 24th to Sunday 26th May will be in for a real treat. Anime director Shinichiro Watanabe will be at the event as Anime Guest of Honour. The director is the man behind Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo and Kids On The Slope. He also directed two shorts on the Animatrix - Kid's Story and A Detective Story.

Attending all three days of the show, Shinichiro Watanabe will be taking part in on-stage panels and promoting both Anime Limited's upcoming HD release of Cowboy Bebop and the UK debut of his latest series, Kids On The Slope, released by MVM Entertainment.

Otaku News Podcast Episode 8

Episode 8 of the Otaku News Podcast is now live! Our intrepid podcasters return with some news on new licenses and online manga closures. We review Persona 4 The Animation, Thermae Romae and Heroman. Cromartie High School takes its place in the hall of fame and then it all goes a bit freeform with mentions of doujinshi and WiiU's new Street View app.

Rumour control - since recording, MVM have confirmed they are putting out Another here in the UK.

On-line Manga Site JManga to shut down it's retail and viewing services

On-line and legitimate manga streaming service JManga will be shutting down it's retail and viewing services on May 30th 2013. In other words it's shutting down in it's current form. The site started offering manga to view on-line from 27th December 2010. It was formed by an industry group of 39 Japanese publishers.

GEN Manga go Manhwa and Sorako release details

The good folks Gen Manga have sent us details of their latest publication. The publisher bringing us Indie Manga from the Tokyo Underground has branched out to Korean Manhwa, releasing Gen Manhwa featuring a title called Stone Collector.

Gen also tell us they intend to branch out to monthly one shot tankobon type titles. That and they've just released Sorako as a complete digital collection and intend to publish it as a printed edition with some help from a Kick Starter campaign.

Anime fans in the UK will be pleased to hear that MVM Entertainment will be releasing Kids On The Slope Complete Collection on DVD and blu-ray on 24th June 2013. The show is currently available to watch on Crunchyroll. The series is directed by Shinichiro Watanabe (who is best known for Cowboy Bebop and Macross Plus) with music by Yoko Kanno (who is best know for the music behind Cowboy Bebop and Ghost in the Shell Stand Alone Complex).

One Piece Uncut UK DVD Release Details

Fans of pirate adventures will be pleased to hear that Manga Entertainment UK will be releasing One Piece! The first DVD release will be One Piece Collection 1 Episodes 1-26 Uncut, it's due out 27th May 2013. As it's the uncut edition they won't have any weird digital editing with Sanji's cigarettes replaced with lollipops.

Evangelion Camera - Pentax Q10 Limited Edition

Otaku photographers who want to tell the world they love Neon Genesis Evangelion will be pleased to hear about the new PENTAX Q10 Evangelion model. Available in 3 colour schemes - Unit 01, Asuka and Rei. They'll be released this April 2013.

The cameras are special limited edition models, with only 1,500 of each colour scheme produced. They all have NERV branding and will only be available in Japan. We suspect they'll be perfect for photographing Evangelion cosplayers! We've covered Evangelion merchandise before and can report that this isn't the craziest product tie in.

Play.com to end first party retail sales

We've just heard that popular on-line retailer Play.com will stop "first party retail sales" by the end of March 2013. They intend to focus on it's Marketplace business. Play.com were sold to the Rakuten Group in 2011 for £25m. With the price reflecting the close of the tax loophole that allowed them to sell their DVDs from the Channel Islands, without paying VAT.

This basically means they will not directly distribute goods, but instead act as a market place to allow third party companies to sell stuff.

Cowboy Bebop returns to the UK on DVD and Blu-ray Q3 2013

New UK anime company on the block Anime Limited have just announced on Twitter (and other social media) that their first title will be Cowboy Bebop on DVD and Blu-ray. It'll be released sometime in Q3 of 2013. The TV show has been released in the UK a few times on DVD before but has been out of print for a while and UK copies of the DVD are hard to find.

It has never been released on blu-ray in the UK. A hi-def version of the series has the potential to look amazing as the series was cel animated with some CGI, if done properly the blu-ray release would be worth grabbing!

The series was voted number 2 on the top anime of all time list by 11,700 Newtype USA readers (Neon Genesis Evangelion the TV show was voted number 1).

Cowboy Bebop, like Evangelion is one of those landmark must have titles that all anime fans should see. Additionally, Bebop isn't just about the anime, it's also about the music, The Seatbelts (Yoko Kanno's band) do an amazing job on the Bebop soundtrack.

MCM Scotland Comic Con - Set for August 2013 in Glasgow

Readers in Glasgow will be pleased to hear some news we've been sent from the good people at the MCM Expo who are launching their first Scottish event - MCM Scotland Comic Con a one day festival. The London event is popular with cosplayers, anime and manga fans, along with gamers. The event is set to run on 31st August 2013 at SECC Glasgow.

The Birmingham based fans will also be pleased to hear that the Birmingham MCM is set to expand too during 2013 becoming a permanent MCM event.